Hogg Mental Health

About the Hogg Foundation

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has been promoting mental health in Texas since 1940, when the children of former Texas Governor James S. Hogg established the foundation with proceeds from their beloved brother Will’s estate.

Will’s sister, Miss Ima Hogg, later established a separate endowment at the foundation dedicated to providing mental health services for children, youth, and their families in Houston and Harris County.

Over the years, the Hogg Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to fulfill this mission and continue the Hogg family’s lefacy of public service in Texas. Today, the Hogg Foundation focuses on key strategic areas with the greatest potential to benefit mental health in Texas and awards grants through a competitive proposal process. The Foundation funds mental health services, scholarships, academic research, policy work, public education, and outreach.

The mission of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is to advance mental wellness for the people of Texas as an impactful grant maker and catalyst for change.

Executive Committee Members

Rev. Preston J. Allen serves as the Director for Non-Profits and Community Development at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (WABC). In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing and managing three primary non-profit affiliates as the Executive Director: Wheeler Avenue Triangle Ministries Incorporated (WATMI), Wheeler Avenue Central City Comprehensive Community Center (WA5C’s), and Wheeler Avenue Inner City Visions (WAICV). These non-profits were established by WABC in an effort to address many of the social challenges associated with persons that reside in the Third Ward of Houston.

WATMI’s primary responsibility is to manage the real properties that ensure social service agencies have a suitable facility.

WA5C’s manages several programs that target various constituents:

The Madge Bush Transitional Living Center – housing homeless families for up to 24 months, allowing them to develop and transition into permanent supportive housing. A HUD supported program.

Honey Child Program – a Faith-based program providing educational awareness and support to pregnant mothers between the ages of 17 of 44 that face the threat of premature/low birth weight which contributes to the incidence of infant deaths in the African American Community. This is a March of Dimes Program.

WA5C’s Mental Health Initiative – funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, this program provides education and awareness to Faith-based communities as an effort to increase the utilization and treatment opportunities within the African American community.

WA5C’s Supportive Case Management Program – providing supportive case management for seniors that reside at the Audrey Hoffman Lawson Seniors Residence located in the Third Ward. This program allows seniors to age in place while allowing them the opportunity to navigate through a myriad of administrative challenges common to seniors.

WAICV – serves as the funding affiliate for the other non-profits (WATMI, WA5C’s).

Preston has served in several adminstrative and management opportunities within the Health Care industry supporting hospitals throughout the United States. In addition, Preston has been a dedicated servant leader within various non-profit and community organizations, including The Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA, Garden Oaks Elementary School, Concord Baptist Church of Christ Nursing Home and Habitat for Humanity.

Dr. Reeda L. Walker is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston and also a licensed clinical psychologist.

She has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles primarily in the areas of suicide and resilience. For more than a decade, Dr. Walker has investigated how psychological factors such as depression and sociocultural factors such as spirituality impact suicide vulnerability in Black Americans. Her research efforts have been supported by the National institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Georgia Research Foundation, the Southern Illinois University Foundation, and the South Carolina Research Foundation. Clinically, Dr. Walker supervises doctoral students who see psychotherapy clients as part of their doctoral training in clinical psychology.

Dr. Walker is native of Savannah, Georgia. She joined Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church shortly after relocating with her family to Houston from Athens, GA in August 2012.

Rev. Dr. Barbara Eustace William praises God daily for giving her the opportunity to serve Him by serving his people for 45 years. She currently serves as the Minister of Counseling at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and has been in that position for over 20 years.

Rev. Williams is a native of Lockhart, Texas and the younger of two daughters. Her father and sister are deceased (both at 52 years of age), however, her mother, Mrs. Myrtle Moore still resides in Lockhart, and is an active 93 years young.

Rev. Williams received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas, and a Master’s in Social Work/Clinical Concentration from the University of Houston. She has done post-graduate work at Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts, and she praises God most for her year at Dallas Theological Seminary. She received her PHD in Clinical Christian Counseling from Cornerstone University at Lake Charles, Louisiana. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Christian Counselor.

Rev. Williams’ secular years were spent at Child Guidance in Houston and Dallas, Texas. Mental Health-Mental Retardation Health Clinic, and several hospitals, including Memorial Hermann, Bayshore, and the Harris Count Hospital District: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Quentin Mease, and Ben Taub as a medical social worker.

She states that she has a passion for helping people know and apply God’s Word. Her dream is to one day have a full Christian Counseling Center complete with gardens, horses, and gymnasium on a ranch setting.

Rev. Williams has been married 46 years to Mr. James N.E. Williams, retired Business Administrator for Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. They have a total of 5 children of which two are her biological children. In addition, they have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Helping Houston

We are dedicated to raising funds to work projects for our community. We want to provide a haven of support and faith for everyone in the Houston area.

Find Us Today

We are here to help make our community stronger in life in faith.
3826 Wheeler Avenue Houston, TX 77004
Phone: 713-579-2729